Voice Over Classes: What to Look For (and What to Skip)

A good voice over class teaches you to act with a microphone, read a script for meaning, record and send a clean audition, and understand how voice work is found and booked. Look for a teacher with real, checkable voice credits, a chance to audit first and honest feedback. Skip anyone who rushes you into an expensive demo or promises you work.

Do you need voice over classes?

If you want to compete for paid work, yes. Our voice-over expert, actor and voice-over teacher David H. Lawrence XVII, says voice over is acting with a microphone, so the most important training is acting. He adds that the best time to train is before the auditions arrive, so you build skills you can use on every job rather than paying for help one audition at a time.

What types of voice over classes are there?

• Ongoing group classes, where you read copy each week and get notes alongside other students.
• Private sessions, one on one, often used before a big audition or a demo.
• Online courses and memberships, with recorded lessons and live workouts.
• Weekend workshops, often focused on one category such as commercials, animation or audiobooks.
• Demo packages, where training and a produced demo are sold together (see the red flags below).
• Union programmes. As of November 2026, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation's Voiceover Labs in Los Angeles, New York and online offer booth sessions, classes and workshops, free for SAG-AFTRA members.

What should a good voice over class teach?

Look for four things. First, acting: connecting to the words and talking to one listener. David's advice is to let the words do the heavy lifting, and to picture a single person you're speaking to. Second, categories: commercials, animation, narration and audiobooks each ask for different reads.

Third, the technical basics: microphone technique and simple engineering, such as recording at a level that is neither too soft nor clipping. Fourth, the business: how auditions arrive, how to slate and name files, and how agents work. A class that only teaches "funny voices" is skipping most of the job.

How do you choose a teacher?

Kym's checklist for any acting class works for voice too. Research the teacher's background and whether their recent students are booking the kind of work you want. Audit a class or take an introductory session before signing up for months. Look for honest feedback delivered in a way that helps you, not cruelty and not empty praise. And notice the other students: you want classmates whose work you admire, because you'll grow toward the level of the room.

Performer and producer Jess Orcsik adds one step before all of that: work out what kind of work you want, then find the teachers who specialise in it.

Do regular acting classes help with voice work?

Yes. Kym's guide to class types recommends starting with foundational work that teaches listening and being in the moment, and she credits improv classes with sharpening reaction time, which helps on fast animation and commercial sessions. If commercials are your goal, she says a commercial class teaches the specific skills that book them. See acting techniques and improv for actors.

Are online voice over classes worth it?

They can be, because voice auditions are recorded at home anyway. A good online class should have you record real copy and give you specific notes on your recordings, not just play lectures. Check that you'll get feedback from the teacher, not only from other students, and that the course covers the technical side of sounding good at home. Kym's view is that some foundational acting work is better in person, so mix the two if you can.

What are the red flags?

• A demo sold before you're ready. David refuses to make students a demo until their skills are competitive, because a rushed demo won't hold up.
• Bargain-basement demo deals. David's view is that you get what you pay for.
• Promises of work or an agent. No class can guarantee bookings.
• Credits you can't check. Kym's rule for any teacher is to confirm they've actually worked in the field.
• Pressure to buy more before you've had a single note on your work.

When should a class lead to a demo?

Only when you and your teacher both hear competitive work. David says you need a portfolio of demos rather than one, and that some categories (commercials, documentary narration, phone systems, animation and games, promos) should be produced professionally. Others, such as audiobook samples, you can record yourself. Our voice over demo guide covers what goes in each.

How much do voice over classes cost?

Prices vary so widely between teachers, cities and formats that we haven't quoted any here. Before you pay, ask how many times you'll record, who gives the notes, and whether a demo is bundled in. If you're a SAG-AFTRA member, start with the free Foundation labs. For acting class prices we've checked, see how much acting classes cost.

Want the whole library? Start your 7-day free trial and watch every answer on this page.